Judaism isn't just about you or me, it is about us. A covenant HaShem didn't made only with Avraham and Moshe. It was made with all of us, the Jewish People.
Our holy temple, the Beis HaMikdash, destroyed, the Jewish people scattered around the world. But our faith didn't stop there. We built schools, yeshivas, kollel, Shuls and mikveh's. Three times a day men showing up in Shul to daven, to connect to HaShem.
The Torah isn't just a scroll, it's a blueprint how to live, the Talmud a1500 year old debate and disagreements. Many other nations have faded and no longer exist. We, the Jewish people survived, but not just that, we adapted, but above all we remembered who we are.
Judaism isn't about crusades, forced conversion or wanting to built empires. Judaism is about the Torah, the mitzvos, halacha, mezuzahs, Pesach, shiurim, davening.
Whether we are Ashkenazi or Sephardic, observant or non- observant, Baal Teshuvah or a convert. Whether we stay or leave the fold, we all have a different background, we all have our struggles, we all have the same fears and anxiety through uncertainties.
We are a people that HaShem made a covenant with. We are a people so strong, resillient, but often divided by our differences in the communities we grew up in, the rules and regulations, the level of observant, or non observant at all. We argue over little things, sometimes over political issues among ourselves, sometimes we just don't hear each other.
The Torah teaches us our responsibilities in partnerschip with HaShem. Ingaging in Torah learning is fighting spiritually to protect the nation. The Torah protect us, shields and saves us as much as the IDF and the Iron dome does. Our mission is a light unto the nations, together as a unity we will shine so bright, that darkness is in reality the brightest light to be revealed.
There was always a part of us who were fighting when needed and a part of us who were davening and learning. While Yehoshua was fighting, Moshe was praying. They prevailed through Moshe lifting his hands up towards heaven, while Yehoshua's men were fighting. It was working together that made them stronger.
Learning and davening, through action and body and soul, is walking in the ways of HaShem.
The Baal Teshuvah writes it's own story, building his or her life from the inside-out, excessive devout but always sincere. They need to be guided, to take one mitzvah at the time. Welcome the Baal Teshuvah into Klal Yisroel. Guide them, learn Torah with them, teach halacha, the mitzvos. Don't forget that they don't have any knowlegde of our customs, rules and regulations.
A convert, who observed the mitzvos for some years, invited to Shabbos and chagim, learning Torah, but still, a life of Torah observance 24/7 is in no comparison to a life they were living before. The challenge they created for themselves, a long path full of obstacles, ups and downs, falling and getting up again, and finally they are standing at Beis Din, the Mikveh and paperwork signed and sealed. From that moment, life as a Jew begins, but it isn't that simple. Want to know why read the story of Kylie Ora Lobell
HaShem choose us, given His Torah, which we accepted as the only nation among all other nations. A covenant HaShem made with us, He gave us 613 mitzvos. A mitzvah to love our fellow Jew is one of them.
Our love for the Torah and the love for HaShem is incomplete when we don't have love for our fellow Jew.
All our actions are meant to be done for HaShem, when we treat each other with chesed and help one another with our inner struggles..that is Avodas HaShem.